You Remind Me of the Babe
by pisthelimit
Summary: Two years have passed since Sarah left the Underground. Try as she might, she can't forget the Labyrinth or its creator. Try as he might, the creator cannot forget the conquerer. SarahxJareth
1. Chapter 1

AN: I do not own Labyrinth. I do not own Labyrinth. I do not own Labyrinth. *checks* *cries* I do not own Labyrinth.

Pi here. :) I thought of this story the other day, but have no idea how long it is going to last... four chapters? forty? (not that I could write forty chapters! -.-'' ) Please enjoy!

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He leaned closer, and brushed a loose tendril of ebon hair behind her ear. Sarah stiffened at his touch, and sensing her reluctance he made no further move.

"…Sarah," He began, but thought better of it. He spot no more, but his lips remained slightly parted.

Sarah relaxed. An embarrassed blush warmed her face, and in attempt to break the silence, she opened her mouth. She could think of no words.

The rebellious hair escaped from behind Sarah's ear once more. Sarah exhaled; the dark lock hovered for a moment, and landed once more between Sarah's eyes. He laughed, as did Sarah, and reached to tuck the tress back behind her ear. He paused briefly, his hand still at her face. He angled her face upwards, leaned down, and kissed her.

Though startled, she didn't push him away. 'How cliché,' she thought briefly, before abandoning her more logical side to hormones. Her eyes fluttered shut.

His hands found her waist, and pulled her closer to him, closing any gap that there had been. Proving that she had no objections to this, she wrappedher arms around his neck, and opened her lips when she felt his tongue trying to gain entrance.

-

Elsewhere, Jareth fumed. In his right hand, he clutched a glass orb. Hazy magic within the sphere revealed the source of his anger; an insolent boy taking what the Goblin King fancied as his own: Sarah Williams.

He stared as his lips touched Sarah's, and Jareth's eyes narrowed with anger as Sarah's fluttered closed with bliss. The black gloved hand tightened its grip.

The boy, the insolent boy, used his short, unworthy fingers to pull Sarah's waist closer to his own. Jareth waited for Sarah, innocent Sarah, to push him away. Instead, the King of the Underground watched as Sarah, incorruptible Sarah, wrapped her arms around his skinny neck.

Jareth threw the glass ball as far as he could down the corridor. It exploded upon impact and the wave of heat, scented with the repugnant odor of singed goblin hair and jealousy, made Jareth scowl.

Jareth walked briskly away from the inferno, and rounded a corner. The shrill squawk of a lost chicken interrupted his murderous thoughts. Jareth wasted no time in acquainting the black hen with the pointed toe of his boot. He had things to do. Mortals to destroy. Poultry to kick.

-

Sarah untangled her arms from his neck, but did not break the kiss. Her eyes remained closed, and she walked her hands from his shoulders to his chest. She could feel his fast heartbeat beneath her fingertips, but his heartbeat was not what she had been searching for.

Sarah opened her eyes slowly, and then pushed away quickly. She tried not to let her disappointment show. She mumbled an excuse, and apology, and a goodbye, then ran home.

At her house, and on her porch, Sarah stood gasping for air. Realizing what she had just done, Sarah turned red; first from shame, then embarrassment, then anger for feeling either.

---

Had Jareth conjured another orb, or refrained from destroying the first, his anger might have subsided slightly upon seeing that Sarah had ended the kiss, and the manner that she did this in.

His anger would have disappeared entirely, had he realized what Sarah was looking for.

Though she would not admit it, least of all to herself, Sarah's fingers had wanted (as did Sarah) to feel the long blonde tresses that hung from the scalp of the Goblin King.

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Thanks for reading! I hope that you liked it!

I've got a lot to work on, and I appreciate constructive criticism. (and reviews!)

Until next time! :) Bye bye!


	2. Chapter 2

AN: I now own the DVD of Labyrinth. :D Sadly, I own nothing else Labyrinth related. Woe.

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"So, is it true?"

"Is what true?" Sarah distractedly responded, not sure if she should be spending more time paying attention to the conversation that was beginning or her slightly bedraggled black hair.

"You know! Did you two really kiss?"

"Oh, right. That." Sarah could feel the blush of her torn emotions creep into her cheeks. "Yes. We did." She forced out, and forced her gaze back into her own reflection in the mirror. She could see that she was reddening and tried unsuccessfully to stop the flush from deepening.

"Well?"

"Well nothing." Sarah jiggled the cold water faucet, and cupped her hands under the stream of chill water. She splashed the water against her face, and was relieved to note that the intensity of the blush lessened.

"So, you didn't… run away?"

"Who told you that?" She snapped, and without waiting for an answer shook her head. "Never mind. I need to get to class." She dried her hands on her denim pants, and grabbed a paper towel to dry her face. "I'll talk to you at lunch," Sarah muttered, and sped toward the door of the girl's bathroom, only to be grabbed by her wrist and dragged back in.

"Sarah, you know as well as I that next period _is_ lunch. Why'd you run away?"

"I don't know!" Sarah moaned, and turned her gaze to the tiled floor.

"Sarah, that wasn't your first kiss, was it?"

"Of course not! Don't be ridiculous!" She exclaimed, lying through her teeth.

"Sarah, are you feeling okay?"

"Of course I'm…," Sarah paused and deliberated. "You know what? I am feeling a little off. I should probably go to the nurse."

"I did see him coughing in math class last week… Maybe you got what he had!"

"Yeah… good thinking. I'll just go to the nurse now and, um, get some medicine." Sarah shuffled nervously to the door.

"Want me to take you there?"

Sarah broke into a theatrical coughing fit and shook her head. "I wouldn't want to make you sick, you know, in case it's contagious." Sarah let out several over dramatized hacking noises, and put her hand to her forehead. "I think I might even have a fever!"

"On second thought… it's probably best if you go alone."

Sarah turned and left the bathroom, a broad smile on her face. She was fairly glad, at times like these, that the people that chose to befriend her were all deliciously gullible. She let out several more coughs as she walked down the hallway, but dropped her poorly executed sickness as she rounded the corner. Sarah walked past the nurse's office without a second glance, and confidently walked through the open the doors to the school.

Before long, she stood in front of her large white house. She slid the key into the lock, and opened the door. Merlin bounded toward Sarah as she stepped into the foyer, and Sarah scratched his head appreciatively. "Merlin, I have had the most exhausting day." She murmured as she knelt down. Merlin licked Sarah's face, and Sarah squeezed her eyes shut. "Oh Merlin," she laughed, and stood up once more. Merlin whined, and Sarah gave him one last scratch between the ears. Content with her display of affection, Merlin trotted off into the kitchen.

Sarah stood in the foyer, alone once more, and sighed. "Oh, it's not fair!" She exclaimed, recalling the incident from the day previous. She was kissing him! She was enjoying herself! She didn't need Jareth! She didn't want him either! Sarah stamped her foot against the carpeted floor, and headed up the stairs.

"Toby?" She called hesitantly before entering his room. His small bed was empty. "Oh god, oh god, oh god." Sarah hyperventilated, falling into panic before she thought rationally. Daycare. Of course. He had been attending daycare for the past year and a half.

'_There are no such things as goblins. There are no such things as goblins. There are no such thing as goblins.' _Sarah repeated to herself inside her head. "The Labyrinth does not exist. The Labyrinth does not exist. The Labyrinth does not exist." She whispered hurriedly, forcing herself to spit each word out. "I have never been Underground. I have never been Underground. I have never been Underground." She repeated without conviction, but the phrase began to crescendo all the same. She shook her head. This was ridiculous. "There are no such things as goblins. The Labyrinth does not exist. I have never been Underground." She repeated once more.

She hurried into her own room, and dumped her schoolbag onto the chair of her vanity. She needed some time to escape from everything. Some place that she was sure not to be found. Some place that she was sure to find herself. "Nothing like a relaxing day at the park…," Sarah told the empty room, and forced a smile on her face. She grabbed a book from her bookshelf at random, without paying attention to the title. She slipped the book into a shoulder bag that hung from the back of her door, and headed downstairs.

"Merlin!" She called, grabbing his leash. Merlin cocked an ear upwards with the mention of his name, but remained curled on the couch. "Oh, forget it, you lazy mutt!" Sarah called playfully, and hung the leash up once more. "Looks like I'm going alone," She said, before realizing that it was unlikely that she could guilt-trip her dog into accompanying her.

Arriving in the park, Sarah found that the leaves were already changing colors. The autumnal hues took her breath away. It had been far too long since she had visited the park. The last time that she had been here alone must have been… Sarah shook her head. No. She didn't play in lands of make-believe anymore. _'You are much too old for that.' _She scolded herself. "There are no such things as goblins. The Labyrinth does not exist. I have never been Underground." She whispered the mantra once more.

She shook her head to clear her thoughts, and sat down on the unoccupied bench behind her. She moved into the most comfortable position that the bench would allow, and pulled the book from her shoulder bag.

"Impossible." Sarah whispered. She had not touched the little book in her hands in two years. She had shut it in the drawer to her vanity the night of her return. She had not opened that drawer since then. She stared at the red leather and gold lettering, and did not know what to believe.

A dog-eared copy of Labyrinth shook in her trembling hands.

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AN: No Jareth in this chapter... I was sad too. He's going to be in the next one though! And trust me, it will get more exciting soon!

If you can think of any way that this story could be improved, I'd love to hear it! I like constructive criticism!

Thanks to xxlindzzz, High Elf Queen, and Nyx405 for their reviews and encouragement!


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: Don't own Labyrinth. Tis a pity.

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'Deep breaths.' Sarah thought, concentrating on forcing air in and out of her lungs. 'In your nose, out your mouth.' She thought over and over again, as she felt her throat tightening with nervousness. Deep, steady, even breathing. 'In your nose, count to four, out your mouth, count to four.' When her breathing became normal once more, she whispered her mantra. "There are no such things as goblins. The Labyrinth does not exist. I have never been Underground."

She looked once more at the book she clutched in her hands; half hoping that it would have morphed into another novel. The red leather cover and gold capitalized title remained unchanged. Sarah's grip tightened slightly and her fingertips brushed against the light indentations of the title. Chills scurried up her arm and left her fingertips feeling electrified.

"It's just a book." Sarah said softly and without conviction. She opened cover hesitantly, and released an audible sigh of relief when no goblins exploded from the pages. "It's just a book." She repeated, her confidence in the statement growing.

Flipping past the title page, she was surprised to find that in the margins of almost every page were penciled notes. She, who had been a bibliophile all of her life, was astounded to find that the spidery writing belonged to none other than herself. Sarah reclined slightly in the bench, and turned the pages with fascination, discovering more commentary that she had absolutely no recollection of writing.

Passages had been underlined, and phrases had been bracketed. Long-since forgotten shorthand speckled the surfaces and tiny sketches of creatures of the Underground occupied the corners. Her eyes were pulled toward the lower part of the left-hand sheet, where a passage had been underlined, bracketed, and marked with a star. "Goblin King! Goblin King! Wherever you may be, take this child of mine far away from me!" Sarah read the phrase aloud, and laughed upon its completion. She fished a pen from her shoulder bag and added a note to the margins. 'What is this rubbish? It doesn't even start with "I wish"!' She drew an arrow connecting her new note to the bracketed phrase. The fresh black ink stood in stark contrast to the previously penciled notes. Sarah smiled and continued to read.

As the cruel Goblin King offered the gift of a magic peach to the heroine, Sarah noticed that her 15 year old self had scribbled the warning "AVOID PEACHES." beside the type. With a smile, she remembered her aversion to the fruit in the initial months following the first time she had read Labyrinth. It was as if she was aware of the adventure she would be taken on if she were to allow the sweet fruit to pass her lips. Sarah uncapped the pen with her teeth, and wrote in large capital letters before her previously written note 'DO NOT' and turned the period into an exclamation point.

As the heroine neared the castle beyond the goblin city, the Goblin King began to set up traps and obstacles. The common utterance 'It's not fair!' dotted the pages. "I wonder what your basis for comparison is…" Sarah muttered.

The next several pages had few notes on them, and Sarah flipped through them quickly. Turning the page, Sarah came across a familiar verse.

"Through dangers untold and hardships unnumbered,

I have fought my way here to the castle beyond the Goblin City

To take back the child that you have stolen.

For my will is as strong as yours,

And my kingdom is as great.

You have no power over me."

The elusive final line "You have no power over me." was underlined thrice. Though she didn't want it to, her stomach flip-flopped. She was momentarily trapped in a sense of vertigo, and briefly wondered if she had ever really left the Escher room. For a single moment, she was trapped within the instant after she had defeated the Goblin King. She could see the look of disappointment that crossed his face as she refused his offer.

Sarah shook her head. Surely, it had only been a part of his transformation. It must have been. The great Goblin King was not the type to be heart-broken over refusal by a foolish girl. No. Jareth was manipulative. He was sarcastic. And most of all, he was entirely indifferent where Sarah was concerned. Two entire years without the briefest communication had assured Sarah of that.

Sarah read the last several pages of the book without absorbing any of the material. She caught herself rereading the same phrase again and again, distracted by thoughts on the events that had transpired two years previous. She was surprised to find that the phrase that she had been reading was none other than the conclusion to the book: 'The End'.

"There has to be more…" Sarah breathed desperately, needing closer to her own story more than that of the novel. She flipped through the pages that she had just read, expecting that they multiply. Needless to say, they didn't. Dejectedly, Sarah rifled through the pages from start to finish. Nothing jumped out at her.

Sarah flipped through the pages once more, and was about to close the book when she noticed something that she had previously overlooked. On one of the end pages of the book, entirely devoid of type, there was a lengthy note left in a hand that was not her own. The script was a well practiced cursive, and the connected letters were tall and perfectly formed. Though the penmanship was unfamiliar, the words written were not.

"Through dangers untold and hardships unnumbered,

I have fought my way here to the castle beyond the Goblin City

To take back the child that you have stolen.

For my will is as strong as yours,

And my kingdom is as great.

You have no power over me."

Beneath the quote was a short paragraph, written in the same elegant hand.

"I can promise you that you were never in any real danger. I made sure of that. All of the hardships that you encountered were there only because you felt the need to overcome them. You needn't have fought so hard; any path you chose would have gotten you to the Castle in time to save the child. You wanted to be the heroine, and so, somewhat against my nature, I played the villain."

The words sent chills down her spine. She tried to assure herself by telling herself that the words were written by the previous owner. Sarah turned the page. A white feather fluttered from the book, still curled despite its imprisonment. Sarah picked it up from the ground, and her heart leapt into her throat. On the center of the following page, the foreign script continued.

"I may have no power over you, Sarah Williams, but trust me when I say that _I wish_ that I did."

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AN: So, there you have it. Jareth is *technically* in this chapter. The next chapter will have Jareth in it for real this time, but it will likely be short. (sorry!)

So, in case you guys were all curious about why Jareth is so OOC, here is my interpretation of his character: He is (by nature) a manipulative and sarcastic person. He is a pretty regular dude, but with a flair for the over dramatic. But, he fell in love with Sarah. He played the role that Sarah needed him to play (because he loved her) even though that made her hate him. Who knows when he wrote that note in the book? But its a softer side of Jareth that may not be seen again. (He is still hellbent on going medieval on the boy that Sarah had been with.)

About Sarah: Two years after defeating the Labyrinth, Sarah is reexamining the events that occurred, and thinking that maybe Jareth isn't such a bad guy after all. She is rethinking her viewpoint on Jareth. In the Labyrinth, he had been cruel. But, looking back as a older individual, Sarah starts to realize that he was teaching her how to grow up. She (being the rational girl that she is) is trying to talk herself out of falling for the Goblin King, because she is still bound by duty (to Toby, Family, and School). But, trying to talk herself out of falling in love is proving difficult, as Jareth is just so darned cute sometimes.

And there you have it. That is my interpretation of these characters. (for this story anyway.)

...This is a long Authors note. It should be called an Authors novella or something.

Anyway, a big thank you to High Elf Queen, TheChangingPersonUnderUrBed, notwritten, and ame-ga-korobu for their reviews! I really appreciate the compliments! :)

Please tell me what you think about this chapter! :D I love reviews!

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	4. Chapter 4

A laugh and the sound of rustling leaves made Sarah catch her breath and spin around. Immediately she saw that she was not in the presence of the great and powerful goblin king, and was almost disappointed not to be engulfed in a cloud of glitter. But as she recognized one of the figures pushing through the trees she paled.

"I wish I was any place but here." She whispered, but remained rooted to the spot where she stood.

The couple tumbled from the woods, entirely unaware of Sarah's presence. His hands were at her waist, his mouth was at her throat. Noticing Sarah, she put her hands on his chest and pushed him away. Just like Sarah had done barely a day before.

His smile slid off his face when his eyes met with Sarah's. He uttered a weak hello, and Sarah shot him a thin lipped smile.

"Enjoying the day at the park?" Sarah questioned, covering her voice with an obviously fake sugar. Her eyes narrowed and she did her best to shoot daggers out of them. He did his best to avoid her gaze, choosing instead to look at a spot above Sarah's head. This reluctance to meet her eyes annoyed Sarah too. "Good weather we're having." She added, but again she got no verbal response. He gave a weak nod, his eyes still locked on the space above her head. She glared again, doing her best to demand his attention with her eyes.

"Well, Sarah…," He stuttered and stumbled with his words, his eyes never leaving the spot over her head. "I guess we'd better get going." He retreated several steps, and continued to walk backwards and wave awkwardly. "I guess I'll see you at school." He tripped over his own feet a little, and stumbled. His eyes never broke contact with the space so close to Sarah. Still, he refused to meet her eyes.

"Leaving so soon?" A familiar voice crooned from behind Sarah. "And we hadn't even properly introduced ourselves. What a pity."

The boy now grabbed the hand of his female companion and spun around, dragging her behind him as he headed away in a strange almost run. Sarah turned around slowly, already knowing what (or rather, who) was behind her.

"Hello Sarah." He said, hands on his hips and a smirk playing across his lips.

"Hello Jareth." She said, trying her best to keep her tone impassive despite the fact that her heart had just leapt into her throat. "What are you doing here?" She questioned, whilst trying to take in the fact that he was there at all.

"My job." He answered. His smirk grew into something that Sarah almost mistook for a smile. He nodded his head toward the couple hurrying down the path. A goblin emerged from behind the bench that Sarah had been sitting on. It gnashed its pointy teeth together several times before hounding down the path on all fours. Sarah watched as the small goblin quickly caught up to the couple, and she did her best to stifle a laugh when it sunk its teeth into his leg.

Though the two were dwarfed by distance, Sarah nor Jareth had any difficulties hearing the reactions. "It bit me!" He screamed, and his shrill voice echoed for a moment. "I can't believe that it just bit me!" Her voice was raised too, but not out of concern. "That has to be the ugliest dog I have ever seen!"

Sarah glanced upwards at Jareth who was now (unmistakably) smiling broadly. As if sensing her gaze, he glanced downwards. Out of embarrassment, or perhaps something else, Sarah averted her eyes. She saw a stone wall. A stone wall which had most certainly not been part of the park scenery moments before.

She spun around, and found herself inside. The stone walls reached high, and in the center of the room was a throne. She was certainly no longer in the park anymore.

Jareth moved behind her and as she absorbed her change in surroundings.

"Welcome," he whispered softly into her ear. "To the castle beyond the goblin city."


End file.
